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The recent end of daylight savings time means evenings is now arriving earlier. For many Charlotteans that have no outdoor lighting, or those that are operating on aging, outdated or failing systems, this could mean you return home every night to a dark home. As the night’s darkness continues to sneak up at us, Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Charlotte encourages you to turn your attention to your outdoor lighting system, (or lack thereof) and take notice if it is in need of any maintenance or service.

We pride ourselves on not only designing and installing custom lighting systems, but also providing ongoing maintenance to keep that system performing at peak level. With the dark months upon us, and the arrival of the holiday season, now is the perfect time for a lighting system-tune up. Here are a few things we encourage homeowners with landscape and architectural lighting to look for:

Dimming or uneven illumination

It’s natural for light bulbs to dim over time, but your system overall should always have an even wash of light that effectively illuminates the property. If you’ve noticed it dimming, or uneven illumination there are bulbs out or the light is no longer cohesive across all sections and it may be time to have your bulbs updated.

Depending on the age of your outdoor lighting, you may have halogen lights that will dim more quickly. We now recommend converting your halogen system to LED for added energy-efficiency and performance. The typically LED light lasts up to 50,000 hours. An LED upgrade or conversion is much easier than you may think. In the hands our highly skilled technicians, you can be getting more longevity and cutting energy costs in no time, and if you want to make additions to your system, we may even be able to add more fixtures to your current transformer than you thought. Since LEDs use less wattage, more lights can be added than if they were halogen.

Lights and lens covers

The Queen City is revered for its abundance of beautiful trees, however this time of year means those trees are losing their leaves. We recommend any up lights have lens covers to keep those leaves away from the bulb for safety purposes.

Wiring

We carefully bury all the lighting wiring when we install a new system, but with normal erosion, wiring can become exposed from time to time. This can also occur from normal day-to-day and seasonal activities, such as fall landscaping or raking/blowing fall leaves. If you walk your property and see any wire, make sure to call us to inspect your outdoor lighting system and rebury any wire that has become exposed. Every new system we install includes a one year free Annual Maintenance and Repair Plan contract. After that, you can purchase an additional year for a reasonable fee. This includes most everything you will to keep your system in perfect working order.

It’s well worth having a maintenance plan for your peace of mind and for the longevity of your system. We will even offer the same plan on our competitor’s plans, too! So if they don’t offer you a protection plan, we will be happy to safeguard your investment and make sure it’s in great shape year after year. If you are coming home to a dark house every night, now may also be the best time to consider the addition of outdoor lighting to your property.

The biggest summer holiday is this weekend with the 4th of July just days away. Many families are planning for the celebration as they have been busy wrapping up National Great Outdoors Month that has been going on all June.

Adding light to your outdoor entertainment and garden areas ensures your evening festivities can keep going all night long no matter what the season thanks to good visibility. Not only can we beautifully light up the façade of your home, including the steps, porch and your front door (and even your flag!)—but we can illuminate all those zones that you use most for entertaining such as your deck, patio, pool, outdoor kitchen, walkways and the entire perimeter of your backyard, too! If you’d like to play catch with the kids or battle it out with friends at a game of corn hole, we make sure it’s bright enough to see what you are doing without a harsh, blaring glare.

There is virtually nothing that you can’t do in the evening outdoors just as easily as if it were daytime with good lighting. Our designers will help you achieve a stunning alfresco look that not only has an elegant and exciting vibe, but also helps you do all the things you like to do while getting a fresh breath of air. What better time to be outdoors than when it cools down, the crickets are chirping and your backyard is a moonlit wonderland? Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Charlotte will help you keep all your outside activities going no matter what the hour. You can cook, dine, hang out with friends, swim in the pool or toss the ball with ease with properly placed outdoor fixtures that are made right here in the USA. We don’t sell cheap, big box store grade lighting that deteriorates after only a season or two. Our gorgeous all metal fixtures are made to withstand Charlotte’s hot sun, rain, snow and ice and still look fabulous for many years to come.

Simple tasks such as walking the dog, taking out the trash, getting your mail late at night or coming home from work and parking on the driveway can all be made much easier with increased visibility that is provided by high quality outdoor landscape lighting. We help you avoid trampling your garden beds, driving onto the lawn or being spooked by an evening critter you can’t see. At the same time, we extend your opportunity for nighttime fun because you feel comfortable and safe enough to hang out well into the early hours. If you and your guests can see exactly where you are going, it makes getting around your property a breeze.

Let your outdoor areas become an extension of your home, which adds immediate real estate thanks to additional usable square footage. Keep partygoers outdoors so they don’t make a mess inside your home, and can still have an enjoyable time and feel at ease being outside. Your Independence Day party can continue right on through to the fireworks display which everyone can enjoy right on your deck or back patio without a hitch.

With July 4th celebrations just around the corner, we can get your backyard ready for the celebration you are planning with family and friends. Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Charlotte is the area’s premier outdoor lighting company and we know what it takes to make your backyard the envy of the neighborhood!

We can make your backyard a place where summer festivities will create lasting memories thanks to the perfect backyard outdoor lighting. From deck and patio lighting to enhance the ambiance and functionality of your space, to pool and water feature lighting to add a tranquil backyard setting where light and water combine to soothe your senses after a hard day at the office.

To make your property party ready for the 4th, we can discuss where your guests like to linger, sit and dine–and we can bathe those areas in warm light so they feel comfortable hanging out well after nightfall. At Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Charlotte, we know that if family and friends find it hard to see their food or grab a drink as darkness hits, they will simply figure it’s time to leave the party or want to head into your home instead. We will make sure it’s easy for you to cook in the evening so you can BBQ well into the later hours with useful task oriented lighting.

Before and after pool lighting — what a difference!

We can add enchanting illumination over your deck or patio with festival lighting, that will provide plenty of natural looking light for your backyard entertainment. We can light up the shrubs and trees around your property, fire pit, pergola or any other feature you like to create an inviting look that will encourage your guests to gather, talk and enjoy the holiday!

Before and after patio lighting.

Don’t wait until the last-minute to be put on the Independence Day schedule as appointments are filling up. If your current lighting is not giving you’re the look you want or it’s out of date, let us solving the issue for you. We can do an inspection so you are party ready on the big day! Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Charlotte ensures your current system is functioning correctly by bulb replacement and inspection of transformer, wiring and timers.

Bigger isn’t always better, and Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Charlotte totally understands the desire for our clients wanting to create smaller vignettes of light in their gardens instead of large displays. We love working in a tiered capacity where we come in and do projects in stages as time, budgets and lifestyles allow. If you’re on the fence about getting started on outdoor landscape lighting, NOW is the perfect time before the summer season heats up and we are deep in barbecue season.

If you want to add light just to your outdoor kitchen and dining area, we will happily provide you with fantastic task lighting that enables you to feel like a chef at the grill with plenty of visibility for cooking some gourmet meals. No more second guessing on whether a dish is ready or worried it’s undercooked due to poor lighting. Get everything just right the first time with proper light. If your pool area is on the hit list of upgraded lighting for added safety and glamour, then let’s go ahead with that little slice of your outdoor oasis and make that water come to life thanks to angled surface lighting that showcases the water’s movement. We can add dazzle to your waterfall, masterfully light your pool deck without harsh light directed toward your lounge chairs, and bring drama to your foliage and trees that encircle your pool.

Does your deck or patio need to come out of the depths of darkness so it’s party ready? Let Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Charlotte drape café lighting overhead for a festive feel that offers lots of visibility for dining, game playing, dining or just general conversation. We can add built-in lights to your steps, posts and all the areas surrounding your deck so that it’s safe for everyone to navigate, adds useful outdoor square footage and looks fabulous. Lighting smaller zones of any yard can really have a huge impact without the stressful overload of trying to deal with a large-scale scheme. Doing it slowly and over time is wallet friendly and doesn’t get in the way of summer fun.

The kids are almost out of school here in Charlotte and outdoor entertaining is about to kick into high gear with summer parties, barbecuing and dinners with family and friends. Summer holidays are just around the corner and we aim to get your ready for them! Whether it’s a big festive birthday blow-out or a romantic patio dinner for two, we will help you get evening backyard ready no matter what the occasion. Not only will we add beauty and elegance, but you will get a good dose of functionality, safety and security too!

Don’t wait to get your pre-summer maintenance done to check the wellness of your existing outdoor lighting system either! It doesn’t matter if we installed your system or if someone else did, we will gladly do a routine check to ensure all your fixtures are in tip-top shape, replace your burned out bulbs, convert you to LED bulbs if you are looking for an energy savings, look at your wires, timer and ensure everything is ready for a long summer of fun.

Those of us at Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Charlotte aren’t surprised by the recent survey conducted by Houzz that point out automated outdoor lighting is all the rage among homeowners. The article also indicates upgrades in exterior lighting that convert them from outdated traditional halogens to energy-saving LED’s rose to 32% of homes compared to 28% last year. We know this is unequivocally true because we are doing a HUGE amount of new LED installs and retro-fits to existing halogen systems.

Houzz found that homeowners are very interested in lighting key areas that primarily add not only beauty, but also add a safety factor to their properties, too. They study showed that target areas families most want to illuminate are:

Pathways — 60%

Decks/Patios — 57%

Trees/Shrubs — 53%

Steps — 32%

Home Architecture — 28%

Driveway — 26%

Water Features — 24%

Outdoor Structures — 24%

Pots/Plants — 21%

Swimming Pool — 10%

Art/Sculpture — 9%

Clearly, areas that families most utilize are what are important to them, and decks/patios are one of the most extensively used areas in most backyards in America thanks to barbeques, dining, relaxing and outdoor entertaining. Houzz also found that more than half of homeowners prefer to use the expertise of a lighting designer when it comes to the layout of their landscape system. There is no comparison to the quality of our USA made fixtures in contrast to what is sold at the big box home improvement stores. Our high-grade, all-metal fixtures are designed to last for years regardless of sun, rain, ice and snow; and we use the thickest gauge wire available on the market today. Our competitors use cheap materials that break down after only a few seasons and do not back their products.

We listen to how your family lives outdoors and we cater your lighting plan specifically to the areas where you precisely want to add more light. We know your paths and walkways are zones that help you travel from part of your garden to another, so getting you around your property safely is a must. We will ensure your deck/patio not only looks fabulous in the evening hours, but provides plenty of usability for grilling, parties and just hanging out enjoying nature with the kids. Steps are a significant area that worries many homeowners because they don’t want their visitors to trip and fall, so we can ensure good lighting gives your guests sure-footing.

Exciting things are happening in neighborhoods such as NoDa, Plaza Midwood, South End and Elizabeth in Charlotte. These areas are alive, vibrant and trendy thanks to the gentrification that has been taking place with the renovation of gracious old homes that are getting a second life. Remodeling can be seen everywhere as residents are moving in and re-inventing these properties inside and out.

These homeowners are pioneering some big changes in these often forgotten vintage neighborhoods, and may be buying homes with antiquated or no outdoor lighting at all. Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Charlotte is working with many families moving into these districts to update their existing outdoor landscape lighting or help them plan out brand new custom system systems that fit the style of their newly renovated homes.

With new LED technology options, it’s truly a no-brainer to use it in outdoor landscape lighting, since it will save money over the long term and it’s environmentally friendly. You get 45,000+ hours of use from LED bulbs and they can be easily replaced with our specially designed American made all metal fixtures. You can avoid the constant change-out of old-school halogen bulbs that are also much higher wattage and cost more to own over time. We offer an extensive style of fixtures that can match any home design in these trendy areas—it doesn’t matter if you’ve got a craftsman, colonial, modest cape or a towering Tudor. We can give you a traditional look if that’s what you are after, or we can go uber modern to give a totally unexpected appeal.

There are plenty of other hidden benefits that homeowners rarely think about when it comes to exterior landscape lighting—including added security. Thieves aren’t interested in having the light shining on their devious activities, so the lighting designers at Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Charlotte can help you illuminate those darker corners where the bad guys tend to hide to offer you peace of mind and protection. Your home always looks like there is someone there thanks to our timers that can turn your lights on and off at any random times you choose. Of course, there is also the safety value that is added to your property because guests can clearly see where they are walking and avoid a trip hazard. Walking the family dog, taking out the trash and navigating your driveway are all easily done when visibility is good thanks to evening outdoor lighting.

Another bonus to backyard lighting is that it enhances outdoor entertaining way past sundown. You can hang out on the patio or deck, cooking burgers on the grill and enjoy great conversation with friends in the evening thanks to the ability to see. We can customize fabulous lighting schemes that offer a gorgeous wash of light without being harsh or blinding. Everything will have a natural, moonlit vibe that showcases your home’s style and façade in the best possible light and extends outdoor fun time.

Don’t let all the hard efforts of your renovations get lost in the dark. Let Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Charlotte showcase all the nifty restorations made to your NoDa, Plaza Midwood, South End and Elizabeth home so that you are the envy of the neighborhood.

If you are considering an LED upgrade for your outdoor lighting system. Or if you are considering converting your existing system to LED, Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Charlotte is here to help you every step of the way. We are the area’s premiere choice for outdoor lighting design and installation. The truth is, upgrading or conversion is really much easier than you may think. In the hands our highly skilled technicians, you can be cutting energy costs in no time, and if you want to make additions to your system, we may even be able to add more fixtures to your current transformer than you thought. Since LEDs use less wattage, more lights can be added than if they were halogen.

Here are some of the most common questions we receive from homeowner’s wishing to upgrade or convert to LED:

#1) How much will moving ahead with LED cost?

Answer: If considering a conversion or upgrade to your current system, on average, it will cost 3-4 times what our Annual Maintenance Program costs. We only recommend investing in LED if you plan to reside in your home 5 years or more. Much of the cost of moving ahead with an upgrade or conversion will be recouped through the energy savings, bulb replacement and maintenance costs you will have saved during that time. Also keep in mind the “green” benefits of converting to LED. It is hard to put a price tag on the benefits of reducing your carbon footprint because these choices help the environment and all of us in the long run.

#2) Do I have to change my fixtures out?

Answer: Not necessarily. Most traditional outdoor lighting systems such as halogen and incandescent can easily be converted to LED. To determine if your system qualifies, one of our outdoor lighting professionals needs to inspect it and if it is deemed fit to undergo the conversion, you can start enjoying the many benefits of LED outdoor lighting. We can usually retro-fit about 95% of our lighting and we can retro-fit our competitors lighting in most cases following a thorough inspection.

#3) Will I need a new transformer or timer change?

Answer: No. When we come to retrofit a system, our trained installers will be sure to check the condition of not only your fixtures, but also your wire, transformer and timer, leaving you with what feels like a brand new system.

#4) How long does an LED bulb really last?

Answer: The life of an LED bulb can be between 30,000 and 50,000 hours saving you in light replacement and maintenance. This is 10-15 times longer than the average bulb life, of 4,000 hours with halogen.

#5) Realistically, how much money will I save in energy costs?

Answer: Your total savings is dependent on the size of the system and time it is running. On average, a system of 25 lights or more that runs from dusk-dawn each day could save you an estimated $15-$20 per month in energy savings. Over the course of 3 – 5 years, this amount represents a substantial savings.

At Outdoor Lighting Perspective of Charlotte, we can’t emphasize enough the importance of continuing maintenance of your outdoor lighting system. Like any other hardworking electronic device in your home such as your HVAC unit, your appliances, garage door and other important components that need to function daily—regular annual maintenance is key to their longevity and extended use. You can get many years of good use out of household systems that are properly cared for instead of being neglected and therefore shortening their life expectancy. It’s way cheaper to do proper maintenance instead of having to replace a whole new unit.

We recently completed an extensive LED conversion on a large system that included 83 fixtures that we installed about 6 years ago here in the Charlotte area. Of course, LED’s were not the norm at that time, so halogens were used as was customary then. Well fast-forward to updated technology that now features low-consumption LED bulbs that are easy on the wallet, good for the environment and produce a lot more light with minimal wattage. Best of all, the bulbs last over 50,000+ hours so bulb change-outs are minimized dramatically, which also cuts costs. This conversion to LED’s was a pretty simple for us because the homeowner had kept everything in tip-top shape through the years with the vigilance of our Annual Maintenance & Repair Plan. The homeowner saved a heap of money because we were able to use the existing lighting fixtures without the need for a whole newly purchased system which would have cost a bundle. In this case, that expense was unnecessary since Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Charlotte’s fixtures are specially designed to be upgraded and retrofitted years later. You sure can’t do that with many of our competitor’s fixtures or those cheaply made overseas ones you get at the big box stores!

It doesn’t matter if you want to add additional zones later on, increase the size of your existing system or even change the size of the beam of light, etc. You’ve got plenty of flexibility with every fixture Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Charlotte sells because they are specially made for us to our specifications. We know exactly how they are constructed, so we can easily adapt them to future needs and changes which save you a lot of dough later. There is no need to scrap a system that is in good working order made with quality American materials of all metal construction. If your system has been well maintained and is in good condition, we can adjust it to fit your current lifestyle needs at any time of ownership.

Every new system we install includes a one year free Annual Maintenance and Repair Plan contract. After that, you can purchase an additional year for a reasonable fee. This includes most everything you will to keep your system in perfect working order:

A small amount of maintenance is all it takes to keep your outdoor lighting looking its best.

-Replacement of your halogen or LED bulbs if they ever burn out (though we highly suggest switching to LED’s as they last 10x longer)

-Make sure knocked over fixtures are standing upright and straight

-Repair broken or frayed wires and burying wires that have surfaced above ground

-Inspect and clean your transformer

-Reset/inspect your timer

-Trim back foliage overgrowth that is covering the beam of light of your fixtures and prevents good illumination

Foliage growth may need to be trimmed to be sure your lighting is not obstructed.

-Make simple changes to enhance the effects of your lighting

-You get priority repairs on your system any time you call with no additional service charges for the visit.

It’s well worth having a maintenance plan for your peace of mind and for the longevity of your system. We will even offer the same plan on our competitor’s plans, too! So if they don’t offer you a protection plan, we will be happy to safeguard your investment and make sure it’s in great shape year after year.

Bring your Charlotte Home and Property into its Best Light in 2016 with the Benefits of Outdoor Lighting!

2016 is here and it’s time to finally stop ignoring your outdoor landscape lighting! Incorporating a well-designed illumination plan to your home and yard is equally as imperative as all those other New Year’s resolutions you’ve made like reducing your waistline a few inches, starting an exercise regime and updating the bathroom. There is no better time to get a nifty new outdoor lighting system put in, or add to an existing one you already have.

If you’ve overlooked brightening those gloomier reaches of your property for several years, it’s now time to enhance your current system to give you increased light so that you have a practical lighting scape throughout all of your property. The benefit is that it will improve the security level of your house by brightening the parts of your property for the bad guys who are looking for an easy place to hide while they break into your home. Good lighting prevents thieves from coming to your property and keeps them moving on to an easier target.

If your current fixtures are shabby, worn looking or old school halogens that are power-hungry, you can select brand new ones for a whole new look or we can convert your current ones to energy-efficient LED’s. Don’t wait until spring to get a new system, contact Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Charlotte now, so that when warmer days are here, you will be ready for outdoor entertaining and fun on your deck or patio. We will help you bring in enough light so that you can easily cook a meal at the grill, enjoy a late night dinner or kick the soccer ball with the kids on the lawn after dusk. Don’t waste time waiting to get on our busy calendar later, because right now is the best time to get the task done when your trees, flowers and shrubs are in a dormant stage and will receive little disturbance.

Augmenting your outdoor lighting is a New Year’s resolution that is easy to keep because it increases the value to your home and property in countless ways. The façade of your home gets a boost in evening curb appeal, plus it adds a level of safety so your family and friends can easily navigate their car onto your driveway or walk to your door because everything is easy to see. Every system we install comes with a timer that makes sure your lighting system goes on and off every night with no issue. The benefits that outdoor landscape lighting adds to your property and lifestyle are numerous, so don’t miss out on the benefits.

With the help of one of our skilled lighting designers, this is one New Year’s resolution you will easily keep. It doesn’t involve much fuss or household disruption like other big home improvement projects. You won’t have to live in a hotel, intrude on a family member for a month or deal with any construction chaos to get a big bang your buck. It also won’t cost you a ton of dough either, as we are more than happy to work within your budget and can add fixtures and layers of light in as your finances allow. Don’t overlook the splendor and lifestyle improvements that can be added to your lifestyle with an efficient and striking lighting display.

Santa is making his list and checking it twice this time of year, and Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Charlotte should be on your holiday list to schedule an appointment for your outdoor lighting needs, too. Smart homeowners have been calling us now to get on our schedule for a fresh design and install on their landscape lighting; so don’t wait until spring, as we are busy as elves right now handing new installs and retrofitting existing systems.

Consider upgrading to LED outdoor lighting for a brighter, more efficient design!

There is no need to wait to get a new outdoor landscape lighting system on your property as this is the perfect opportunity to miss the mad rush when the weather warms up. Right now is the perfect time to light up the long and dark winter evenings with a new LED system that is both energy-efficient and wallet friendly. LED’s offer warm toned light that will lower your electric bill, and it’s the only way to go with a newly installed outdoor lighting system. We can change out your tired transformer and timers to the latest models that bring much more ease of use and can even be controlled by any mobile device or computer even if you are away from home.

If you have an existing system that is using old-fashioned halogens, but the fixtures are in otherwise good shape—then you can take advantage of our retrofitting program where we convert them to LED bulbs and save you a bunch of money by letting you keep the equipment you are currently using. Of course, if you are looking to add-on additional lighting, we can also bring some supplementary illumination to any dark corner to brighten it up. If you present lighting design is lifeless and boring, we can move remaining fixtures to new positions and freshen things up a bit for a whole new lighting scheme. We can give you a new look and feel before your Christmas party guests come to your door so you can wow them.

If the outdoor lighting fixtures you have now are tired and have seen better days, Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Charlotte has an entire catalog of options that will compliment the style of your home whether it’s traditional, contemporary or even modern. Our outdoor lights are made to our stringent specifications in the good old USA (not overseas!) and there are an array of designs that will satisfy even the most fastidious homeowner. Welcome your holiday visitors with great pride to your home with beauty and safety thanks to quality outdoor lighting that is meant to impress.

Don’t let your home fall into a black void this winter. Let us light up your outdoors so that your family and guests can safely get to your driveway and front door, but also have a wonderland view in the late evenings. Let Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Charlotte light up your winter nights!